MWFAAN Awards 2026 Peacebuilding Grant to Haruna, Jennifer Alih for Middle Belt Interfaith Dialogue Initiative
MWFAAN Awards 2026 Peacebuilding Grant to Haruna, Jennifer Alih for Middle Belt Interfaith Dialogue Initiative
The Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Association of Nigeria (MWFAAN) has awarded its 2026 Inter-Cohort Collaboration Grant to Abdullahi Ojoanyoni Haruna and Chief Jennifer Hembafan Alih for a peacebuilding initiative aimed at promoting interfaith dialogue and social cohesion across Nigeria’s conflict-prone Middle Belt region.
The project, titled “Escalation of Peace Building Through Strategic Interfaith Dialogue in Nigeria’s Middle Belt,” emerged as one of the successful entries under MWFAAN’s alumni-led grant programme, which supports community-based interventions addressing critical social, economic, and developmental challenges across the country.
According to the association, the initiative seeks to address persistent ethno-religious tensions and communal conflicts that have continued to undermine peace, stability, and development in several Middle Belt communities.
MWFAAN said the project combines strategic communication, community engagement, and grassroots peacebuilding approaches to foster mutual understanding among diverse religious and ethnic groups, strengthen conflict-resolution mechanisms, and promote sustainable coexistence.
The association noted that the initiative is anchored on the principle that lasting peace can best be achieved through inclusive dialogue, trust-building, and active community participation.
One of the grant recipients, Abdullahi Ojoanyoni Haruna, popularly known as Haruspice, is a strategic communications professional, public affairs analyst, columnist, and award-winning compere. He is also the holder of the traditional title of Oma Eju Ejeh Gaaku of Ankpa.
Haruna has written extensively on governance, political communication, crisis management, and national development, with publications appearing in major media platforms including Leadership Newspaper, Premium Times, Daily Trust, TheCable, TimesNG, and AllAfrica.
His co-recipient, Chief Jennifer Hembafan Alih, is a social entrepreneur, peace advocate, and community development practitioner. She holds the traditional title of Ojamalia Odah of the Odah Ojiji Kingdom, Imane, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Alih is the Founder and Executive Director of the Julebrama Women and Children Initiative (JUWACI), a non-governmental organisation that has impacted more than 918,000 beneficiaries through 83 development projects across 21 communities.
The projects span education, healthcare awareness, rural livelihoods, social inclusion, peacebuilding, and women’s empowerment.
JUWACI’s interventions are guided by the Hembafan Integrated Resilience Model (HIRM), a framework designed to address poverty, violence, and educational exclusion through integrated and community-driven solutions.
A member of the 2025 Mandela Washington Fellowship cohort in Leadership and Civic Engagement at the University of Delaware, Alih was recognised with the Most Courageous Fellow Award during the fellowship programme.
She is also the founder of The Victoria Show, an advocacy platform focused on violence prevention and gender justice, and author of From Silence to Strength. She currently serves as an Administrative Officer with the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) and is a Fellow of the Institute of Conflict Management and Negotiation Analysts (ICMNA).
MWFAAN disclosed that beneficiaries of the 2026 grant cycle are expected to complete their projects on or before July 31, 2026, in line with approved implementation timelines.
The association further directed grant recipients to maintain strict financial accountability, comply with programme branding requirements, submit comprehensive project reports, and provide prior notice of implementation activities to facilitate stakeholder engagement and media visibility.
Other beneficiaries of the 2026 Inter-Cohort Collaboration Grant include Emonena Akwara for “Teach A Child About Health,” Michael Benjamin for the “Community Digital Literacy Programme for Rural Youth,” and Oluwatomisin Adeyefa for “From Soil to Start-Up: Economic Empowerment for Women with Disabilities.”
MWFAAN stated that its mission is to empower alumni of the Mandela Washington Fellowship to design and implement innovative community-based solutions while promoting collaborative, ethical, and impact-driven leadership across Nigeria.
By TimesNG